Groton — Town staff has recommended dropping a proposal for a mixed-use village center in Old Mystic from the town's zoning update.

Planning & Development Director Jon Reiner said Thursday at a public hearing on the draft zoning regulations and map, continued from June 19, that staff is recommending keeping the properties in Old Mystic, which were proposed to be part of an MVC zone, in the current RU-80 (rural residential) zone.

Staff is proposing rezoning only one property that was included in the proposed MVC in Old Mystic. The plaza that includes the Somewhere in Time Cafe, currently zoned as commercial CB-15, would be rezoned to Commercial, Neighborhood (CN), an equivalent commercial zone under the new regulations.

Resident Ken Peters read aloud a letter from a neighbor in opposition to the Mixed-Use Village Center in Old Mystic and a petition signed by 53 people protesting the MVC: 

"This area now includes many historic and non-historic homes along with stone walls very close to narrow roadways making sidewalks or 'walkable' pathways not feasible," the petition states. "Further, this area is not served by public sewers and it should not be served by sewers in the future. Also, any change in zoning of this property would negatively affect the preservation and enhancement of Groton’s cultural and historic resources as specified by the Groton Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD)."

The majority of the people who spoke about the proposed MVC in Old Mystic were against it, raising objections including that the zone change would not be in keeping with the character of the historical, residential neighborhood.

"It’s a beautiful residential neighborhood and we’d like to keep it that way," said Bob Florence.

Michele Peters said everyone she spoke to over the last week said they're living in the neighborhood because it's quaint and a beautiful village. If they wanted to walk out of their door and get a coffee or go to a shop, they'd find a house in the borough or downtown, but they like it in the neighborhood and don't mind driving. She said she hopes the commission will permanently squash the proposal.

Lynne McPhee said she wants to keep the neighborhood, where she and her husband chose to retire, the way it is and preserve its historic quality.

Anne Marie Foster, who was in the minority publicly voicing support of the zone change on Thursday, recommended having an informational meeting so residents could ask questions so "our village can move sustainably into the future." Foster said on June 19 that she supports the town creating areas that eliminate the need to drive to get to things.

Richard Dixon, the second supporter, submitted letters from residents in favor of the zone change and said the design standards would support the village's historical nature.

"We would be improving the historic character of the village," said Dixon, who also called for an informational meeting.

Zoning Commission Chairwoman Sue Sutherland said the commission will certainly take staff's recommendation to drop the MVC for Old Mystic into consideration, but still has to vote on the matter.

According to the June 19 presentation by the Horsley Witten Group, the project consultant, the MVC zone is intended to promote "village" scale mixed-use development that builds on an area's historic character and also to make the area bicycle-and-pedestrian-friendly.

Reiner said much of the development in the area is limited due to a lack of water and sewers. He said that if there was a need to analyze the area further in the future, the town could do so.

"It was a recommendation of the Plan of Conservation and Development to look at, study and rezone the area, but it’s something that if we did, we certainly would do it in concert with the many people that are showing up, working with Stonington, and I think we’d want to have a much broader process as far as that," he said.

The Zoning Commission is slated to begin deliberations on the zoning rewrite on July 11, though Reiner said he is not expecting the commission to take a vote that night. 

While most of the people who spoke at the hearing were concerned with Old Mystic, residents also continued to speak on other proposed zoning changes.

The town spent 18 months working to update its zoning regulations and zoning map. The proposed draft regulations and map, as well as more information on the project, is available at: https://www.grotonctzoning.com/

k.drelich@theday.com